Book Your Travel Package to New Zealand for Your Next Fishing Adventure

Matakauri Lodge, New Zealand

Spectacularly situated on Lake Wakatipu, Matakauri Lodge offers stunning views from every angle of the remarkable, Cecil and Walter Peak mountain ranges. Just seven minutes from Queenstown, Matakauri Lodge will provide an alpine lakeside retreat nestled in one of the world's most serenely beautiful landscapes.

The Lodge and adjoining villas, originally constructed in 2000 with a contemporary New Zealand design, is currently closed and undergoing extensive refurbishment and new interior design by Virginia Fisher.

The main lodge will consist of spacious lounge, dining and living areas, all with views of Lake Wakatipu. The lodge will also offer a range of indoor and outdoor dining options for our guests, including superb private dining options. An elegant meeting space is planned with a business centre offering abundant natural light and views of the mountain ranges beyond.

Facilities will include a full service luxury spa, swimming pool and a fully equipped fitness centre.

The Lodge will offer accommodation in eleven luxurious guest suites, with eight outlying cottages and three suites located in the main lodge. Every suite offers its own private porch, bedroom with sitting area and open fireplace, walk-in wardrobe and bathroom.

In discussing fly-fishing experiences with my well-traveled fishing friends who frequent Patagonia in Chile and the remote rivers and lakes of Alaska, they universally agreed that my recent adventure in New Zealand was the most-extraordinary and unique trip that they had ever heard of.

Fiordland National Park lies in the southernmost part of New Zealand's South Island. While it can be reached by hiking and by boat, the remote fishing waters (for a day trip) are only accessible by helicopter. My fishing guide, Henare, was discussing the Park with his friend Jonathan who flies the area almost every day - weather permitting.

His main occupations are to fly by helicopter to cull the deer, which have overrun parts of the Park, fly hunters during the deer season, and to check on the rare bird population – the flightless Takahe (once thought extinct) and the world's only flightless parrot – the Kakapo. In fact, Jonathan is said by locals to know more about these birds than the conservationists.

During a conversation late in 2010 Jonathan mentioned to Henare that he had flown hundreds of hunters into the Park and landed them on or near rivers that, to his knowledge, had never been fly-fished. This was the seed of a new venture for Henare and offered me the opportunity to be one of the first people to ever fish these virgin rivers, which for now we will call the "No Names". On our initial venture we went by helicopter and landed on a tiny stony riverbank. For the next 5 hours I fished with Henare and we encountered no one. The average fish weighed 8 pounds and were the most brilliantly colored specimens I have ever seen.

On our next trip we flew over mountains and glaciers to the Pacific side of the Park and lunched on a mountaintop overlooking the ocean. Then we dropped down to a river, which fed into the ocean, and caught 4- 6 pound browns on dry flies – again seeing nobody else for the entire day.

While this fishing trip could be described as an "out of body" experience, New Zealand fly-fishing is difficult but rewarding. The rivers run from glacier lakes and are crystal clear with the fish very visible. But this also means the fish have quite a view themselves, and will spook easily unless you are very quiet and accurate with your casting.

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NEW ZEALAND TRIP - A Personal Odyssey By Ken Hamill

If one were to describe the perfect trip, it would be to New Zealand. Nowhere is there any better combination of scenery, warm and friendly people, golf, accommodations, and outdoor activities, including: fly fishing for trophy brown and rainbow trout, deep sea fishing, nature hikes and private tours of the spectacular National Parks both inland and by the Sea. Two things are "musts" to get the best of New Zealand. You must travel by land and see as much as possible from the air (helicopters are economical).

I began my trip on the South Island at Queenstown. The Eichardt's Private Hotel offers unobstructed views of Lake Wakatipu and the lake suite is massive. For the golfers, historic Arrowtown (where I played with 3 members) is a classic and must not be missed. The new course at Jack's Point is a welldesigned links style course with magnificent mountain and lake views. But the highlight of this portion of the trip was the helicopter ride over the Southern Alps to Milford Sound (a fiord of unsurpassed beauty) with a glacier landing, then on a remote beach accessible only by air, only to finish with a picnic lunch by a lovely trout stream. My pilot, Steve, was an amateur geologist who flew us over the area where the Australia and New Zealand "plates" meet, causing miniearthquakes every 10 minutes, which are gradually causing a change in the landscape. For the adventurous, take a jet boat trip - reaching 60 knots/hour - up the Dart River is well worth the scenery alone.

Travelling to the northeast coast of South Island, I was able to observe whales and dolphins at Kaikoura by helicopter, and enjoyed lunch at the Pegasus Bay Winery on the return to the five-star Otahuna Lodge nestled in the hills below Christchurch.

Moving further north, I stopped at one of the world's most beautiful fishing lodges - Lake Rotoroa (brilliantly managed with exceptional food). The fishing guides can guarantee you 4-8 pound Brown Trout on dry flies or nymphs and offer river fishing by land or by helicopter. I cannot recall the last time I caught so many large trout – a memory to last me a lifetime!

Moving to the North Island - I stopped at Hastings to play the fine course at Cape Kidnappers - ranked 40th best in the world. But the highlight of this area was golf at Bridge Pa, which was built in 1898 and surrounded by ancient gum trees and native flora and fauna. My golfing companions were three octogenarian members, and the four of us played 18 holes walking in 3.5 hours. As many of our readers know, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is a beautiful five-star property with a working farm, but the historic Greenhill Lodge was a personal favorite. The Lodge sits high on a hill surrounded by acres of vineyards with many grand hiking trails nearby. From here I headed north by helicopter to my favorite destination of the trip - Acacia Cliffs Lodge overlooking Lake Taupo. Rick and Linda Whitlock recently opened this property withspectacular views and 4 outstanding rooms, who will quickly bring home to you the warmth of the New Zealand population.

Rick is a member of the outstanding Wairakei Golf Club set among mountains and thick beautiful local shrubs, trees and giant ferns. It was truly a grand track. If you need more golf the new Kinloch Course is a respectable Jack Nicklaus design – one of his best efforts at a links layout. But if you fish, then a day or two with Chris Brennan as your guide … will bring you "tight lines" with 6-8 pound rainbow trout.

Sadly I left Taupo, but the journey north to the Bay of Islands resulted in a great day at the spectacular Kauri Cliffs golf course - the views alone would make a great day here on this world-ranked, well-designed course. However, to get the most from this area one must take the "Mac Attack" boat to see the Hole in the Rock, off Cape Brett, and the beautiful bay at Paihia. Finally, for the very best understanding of New Zealand trees and plants, I toured Whangaroa Bay and National Park by boat with naturalist Tony Foster - he wrote "Plant Heritage New ealand".

If you finish at Auckland (as I did) you must transfer from the Bay of Islands by helicopter to fully understand the magnificence of the Bay [of Islands] when seen by air. You can take a short Air New Zealand flight, which is more economical, but this helicopter journey almost surpassed my Milford Sound heli-trip and well worth the added expense!

For the golfer, a fitting end to the trip is a round at the Auckland Golf Club (you need to play with a member, which we can arrange). This historic course has some of the best-designed greens I have ever seen, and again local trees, shrubs and flowers surround the course. Titirangi, redesigned by Alister MacKenzie, is one the great man's best and the "amen corner " at 12, 13, and 14 offers the golfer one of the game's greatest challenges. I was again fortunate enough to play with 2 friendly members, who further added to my enjoyment at this fine layout.

The final attraction in Auckland is the Museum where you can see the grand artifacts of Maori culture including the 35-yard long war canoe, which is made entirely from one large native tree. Photos of this canoe do not do it justice, as no lens is large enough to capture this massive, but functional work of Maori art.

Traveling by Air New Zealand is the preferred airline, which flies direct from either San Francisco or Los Angeles (approximately 13 hours to Auckland). And, please give yourself a minimum of 2-3 weeks to experience the best of this great country and it's people. You'll find that some companies offer New Zealand by sea, which sounds exotic, but after spending a month in NZ via roadway and air, I could not imagine spending any amount of time off the coast of such a beautiful and culturally friendly country. Trust me – go by land and it will be your most memorable trip.

Since 1977, Adventures In Golf has customized golfing itineraries for thousands of parties, large and small, with each program carefully designed to maximize the enjoyment of your dream trip – to Britain, Ireland, or other destinations.

Our key staff, with over 130 years of combined travel experience and offices in the United States, England, & Scotland, offer peerless service and in-depth knowledge of these historic countries and their golf courses. Additionally, we work closely with our hotel, transport, and golf partners to make certain you receive an exceptional vacationing experience. You state your objectives - we ensure they are met.

We are one of the few tour operators who can offer unparalleled access to St Andrews Old Course (as well as to many other famous courses, such as Ballybunion, Royal County Down, Old Head, and Royal Troon). To further enhance your St Andrews experience, a member of our Scottish staff will meet you at the Old Course with your personal caddy, and our local staff will be ready to assist you throughout your
stay.

As your advisor, we will guide you through each stage of your trip. Determining the most appropriate accommodations, formulating the best transportation options and, best of all, securing tee times on the famous courses and hidden gems of your choice! As you might
expect, we also assist you in the finer details, such as dinner reservations, sightseeing, fishing, shopping, and any other guidance you may need, making your experience that much more memorable.

This formula has produced an ever-increasing list of satisfied customers, as commendations in Passport, Forbes, Sky, and Connoisseur Magazines bear testimony. Additionally, as the only Golf Destination Specialist of Andrew Harper Travel, we extend our service to a still
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